New York, Sept 12:
Veteran Indian tennis star Leander Paes scripted history by notching up the US Open mixed doubles title with Swiss partner Martina Hingis to become the format’s most successful male player in the Open era.
The fourth seeded Indo-Swiss pair edged past unseeded Americans Bethanie Mattek-Sands and Sam Querrey 6-4 3-6 10-7 in a tricky final to win their third Major title together this season.
The 42-year-old Paes has now won nine Grand Slam mixed doubles titles, surpassing compatriot and former partner Mahesh Bhupathi’s record of eight titles.
He is now behind only the legendary Martina Navratilova, who won 10 mixed doubles trophies. Of those 10, two came with Paes when they won Australian Open and the Wimbledon in 2003.
With this win, the Paes-Hingis duo, which also won the Australian Open and the Wimbledon titles early this season, have become the first mixed doubles team since 1969 to win three Grand Slam mixed doubles titles in the same year.
It was Paes’ 17th Grand Slam title overall and Hingis’ 19th. Hingis has won four Grand Slam titles and all of them have come with Indians.
She won her first mixed doubles trophy with Mahesh Bhupathi when they won 2006 Australian Open.
Hingis is also in contention in women’s doubles, where she is partnering Sania Mirza. The two had earlier won the Wimbledon this year.
They are up against Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan and Casey Dellacqua of Australia in the summit clash. (PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
